Device for the formation of sturdy selvedges on double width fabrics



Sept. 24, 1968 DEVICE FOR THE FORMATION OF STURDY SELVEDGES Filed May 10,

v. SCHERILLO 3,402,744-

ON DOUBLE WIDTH FABRICS 3 Sheets-Sheet l ZNVENTOR WWW/'0 5"/////fl BY 1 5 W ATTORNEY Sept. 24, 1968 v. SCHERILLO 3,402,744

DEVICE FOR THE FORMATION OF STURDY SELVEDGES ON DOUBLE WIDTH FABRICS Filed May 10, 1966 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 75 1 82 (O 0 55F r-f 52 83 L INVENT OR K/I W b jz'vfiw/ ATTORNEY Sept. 24, 1968 V. SCHERILLO DEVICE FOR THE FORMATION OF STURDY SELVEDGES ON DOUBLE WIDTH FABRICS Filed May 10, 1966 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 57 ilililil INVENTOR ////0//0 fi/eW/ ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,402,744 DEVICE FOR THE FORMATION OF STURDY SELVEDGES ON DOUBLE WIDTH FABRICS Vittorio Scherillo, Florence, Italy, assignor to Nuovo Pignone S.p.A., Florence, Italy, an Italian company Filed May 10, 1966, Ser. No. 548,942 Claims priority, application Italy, May 15, 1965, 10,933/ 65 7 Claims. (Cl. 139-54) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A dual selvedge device is mounted on the breastbeam of a shuttleless loom between dual lengths of fabric woven by the loom, and comprises a pair of auxiliary weft inserting needles that travel in helicoidal paths to insert selvedge weft loops into each of the inner ends of the two warp sheds, a pair of retaining needles that move downwardly into the sheds to enter and hold the weft loops in the sheds while the inserting needles are withdrawn and the sheds reverse, two pairs of scissors mounted beneath the needles to cut the wefts connecting the two lengths of fabric immediately adjacent each inner selvedge, and temple rolls for holding the fabric taut adjacent the scissors.

This invention relates to a device for the formation of a study selvedge on the two central sides of fabrics woven in double width on conventional or shuttleless looms having a continuous weft supply mechanism. In these lateer the weft thread, coming from a fixed bobbin placed outside the fabric, is brought into the shed by two carrier and traction inserting needles which are moved contrarywise.

-It is known that, whenever weaving on a double Width loom, it is not possible to form the two inner or central selvedges.

Conventionally, in such a case, devices are adopted for a binding called English convolution which, even if it does not form a conventional selvedge, is such as to bind the weft threads to one another. The binding of the end portion of the selvedges with this method does not produce however a selvedge which is adequately resistant to the subsequent washing and finishing operations.

An object of the present invention is to provide a device which, even though it does not form a conventional type of selvedge, forms a sufficiently robust selvedge which is capable of withstanding any finishing operation, by inserting two independent threads, coming from two bobbins placed outside the fabric, in the form of a loop into the shed, one at the left side of the central zone of the fabric and the other at the right side. Said loops are then held together by the weft, thus giving rise to a selvedge.

A more specific object of this invention is to provide a novel selvedge device of the type described, which utilizes fewer moving parts than prior such devices, and which is substantially more compact and inexpensive than such prior types. To this end it is an object of this invention to provide on a single shaft a plurality of identical cams for manipulating the weft inserting and holding needles that form part of the device described herein.

The mechanism of said device is formed by two needles, an insertion and takeup needle, respectively, for the left selvedge of the central zone of the fabric and, correspondingly, by two additional needles for the right selvedge, totalling up four needles. The two inserting needles, which carry the sewing thread of the selvedge into the Warp shed, are moved in the direction of the warp array and insert said thread by rotating about their own axes, the one towards the left and the other towards the right.

The takeup needles enter the shed vertically from above and hold the selvedge threads until the inserting needles come out of the shed and the weft is beaten by the reed.

To the end of facilitating the introduction of the two inserting needles into the shed, a free gap of about 20 mms. is left between the two fabrics, said gap being free of warp threads and, in order to keep the fabric taut in the area in which the selvedge should be formed, a templet is applied. Said templet is held stationary by a central locking member; and the fabric, as it is advanced in the central 20 mms. gap wherein no warp thread is present, overtakes the template locking member; and the fabric is trimmed in the exact correspondence with the two selvedges, by means of two pairs of scissors having two properly spaced sets of blades.

The inventive device is detailedly illustrated in the accompanying drawings which only show an exemplary embodiment.

Mechanical equivalents, adapted to produce the move ments characteristic of said device lie within the scope of this invention.

FIGURE 1 is a schematic view illustrative of the'general mechanical structure and operation of the device.

FIGURE 2 is a fragmentary sectional view taken transverse to the cam shaft shown in FIG. 1, and is illustrative of the portion of the device causing movement of either auxiliary weft inserting needle.

FIGURE 3 is a further, fragmentary sectional view taken transversely of this shaft, and is illustrative of the portion of the device causing horizontal movement of each takeup needle.

FIGURE 4 is a further, fragmentary sectional view taken transversely of this shaft, and is illustrative of the parts causing vertical movement of the takeup needle, and also shows the cutting device for the central portion of the wefts between the inner selvedges.

FIGURE 5 shows partly in plan and partly in section, the whole mechanism with the two insertion needles, the two takeup needles, the means for producing the independent depressional and lifting movements of the takeup needles and a view of the template with its cover.

FIGURE 6 shows partially a front elevational and partially a cross-sectional view of the cutting device.

The inventive device is actuated by the looms crankshaft which, through a conventional drive including planetary gears and the gear 51 (FIG. 1), transmits the drive to the shaft 1. Shaft 1 is rotatably journaled in a housing 70 to extend transversely to the housing sidewalls 71 and 72, and to the partition 73, which extends through the center of the housing parallel to the walls 71 and 72. On said shaft 1 are keyed four identical triangular cams 2, 25, 41 and 42, which rotate between the furcations of bifurcated members or forks 3, 26, 43 and 44, respectively. These forks are mounted to pivot about pins 75 (FIGS. 3 and 4), which extend parallel to shaft 1, and which are carried by stationary lugs 76 in housing 70. These parts, which are similar to those which operate the needles in the selvedge device of my copending U.S. application Ser. No. 558,185, filed May 6, 1966, ensure the eight movements to be effected by the four auxiliary needles, permit an entirely positive control of the movement of said needles. The cam 2, by being rotated with the shaft 1, pivots the fork 3, which, through the connecting rod 4, which is pivotally connected at opposite ends thereof to members 3 and 5, imparts an oscillatory motion to the two arms 5 and 6, which control the longitudinal motions of both the left inserting needle and the right inserting needle, respectively. At their upper ends arms 5 and 6 are fixed to opposite ends of a tubular member 69, which is mounted to rotate on antifriction bearings coaxially on a shaft 68, that is journaled in the housing parallel to the shaft 1, above and to the rear thereof. Said arms, in fact, through their connecting rods 7 and 8, impart a horizontal reciprocating motion to the blocks 9 and 10 respectively, and consequently to the sleeves 11 and 12, respectively, on which are affixed the blocks 9 and 10. Sleeves 11 and 12 are mounted to reciprocate horizontally, and at right angles to shaft 1, in stationary guides 77 and 78 (FIGS. 2 and 5). Within the sleeves 11 and 12 are rotatably mounted the two arbors or shafts 13 and 14, respectively, which, through the rings 15 and 16 and the sliders 17 and 18, which are secured to the shafts 13 and 14 respectively, are held against longitudinal movement relative to the sleeves 11 and 12, respectively, while still being free to rotate about their own axes. Projecting from the sliders 17 and 18 are the pins 19 and 20, respectively, which slide within arcuate slots 21 and 22' in the half sleeves 21 and 22, both affixed to the housing of the device. The arbors 13 and 14, carry, afiixed to their ends towards the reed, the inserting needles 23 and 24, respectively, which have semielliptical shape and have at their lower ends bights or eyes through which the auxiliary weft threads are allowed to slide. Thus when the arbors 13 and 14 are thrust forward by the movement of the cam 2, the pins 19 and 20, sliding within the slots 21' and 22' in the halfsleeves 21 and 22, follow the arcuate path of the slot and impart to the inserting needles an axial movement.

The two slots of the half sleeves are constructed so as to cause the two arbors to be rotated, the left-hand arbor 14 clockwise, and the right-hand arbor 13 counterclockwise. On the shaft 1 is also keyed a cam 25 which moves the fork 26. The latter, which pivots about a pin 75 and is pivotally connected to the connecting rod 27,

simultaneously controls the levers 28 and 29, which are fixedly attached at their upper ends to the arbor 30 that is rotatable on shaft 68. Said levers thus reciprocate the arbors 31 and 3.2 which are connected, via the blocks 33 and 34, respectively, to the lower ends of said levers. Said arbors 31 and 32 carry the takeup needles 35 and 36, respectively and are longitudinally slidable in guiding members in bored hubs 37 and 38, which are carried at the upper ends of the levers 39 and 40, respectively. Levers 39 and 40 are pivotally mounted at their lower ends in the forward wall 82 of housing 78 to pivot about a common axis parallel to the shaft 1. The vertical movement of the take-up needles is obtained for both in the same way, via the cams 41 and 42, respectively, which are keyed to the shaft 1 and, through the transmission members, formed by the forks 43 and 44 and the connecting rods 45 and 46, respectively, cause the levers 47 and 48 to be reciprocated. The levers 47 and 48 are pivoted independently of one another at their upper ends on the shaft 68, and are pivotally connected at their lower ends to the rods 49 and 50', respectively, so that they transfer their drive, through the connecting rods 49 and 50, respectively, to the levers 39 and 40, respectively, which carry the bored hubs 37, and 38, through which the arbors 31 and 32, carrying the takeup needles, are passed. Summing up, there are thus two movements which simultaneously act on the arbors carrying the takeup needles, namely, a translational movement, and, concurrently therewith, a downward displacement, as obtained with two triangularly shaped cam and cooperating fork assemblies which, in addition to ensuring an entirely positive control for said movements, still allow independent timing of the axial and downward movements of the takeup needles. The template is formed (see FIGS. 4 and 5) by a shaft 52 on the right side whereof are mounted the fabric entraining, spike-carrying wheels 53, whereas the similar but oppositely oriented wheels 54 are mounted on the left side. The keying of the template is made at the center thereof, by securing the shaft 52 via the clamp 55 to the templet carrier 56, which is fixed to and projects in the direction of the reed (not illustrated) from the base plate 83, which supports the housing 70 on the breastbeam of the loom. The clamping member 55 has a hub having the same diameter as the template and a thickness of 20 mm. so as to allow the wefts, which are devoid of warp threads at the center of the fabric, to pass over the hub and to be then trimmed by two pairs of scissors. The template cover is affixed, through two clamps 57, to the front of the housing 70 of the device. The scissors (see FIGS. 4 and 6) are incorporated in the template carrier 56, the latter-beinga generally U-shaped bracket secured at its open end against plate 83, and having two spaced, parallel sidewalls or legs 58 and 59 to which two stationary scissor blades 60 and 61 are affixed.

The two movable blades 62 and 63 are pivoted intermediate their ends on a stationary shaft 84 (FIG. 4), which extends transversely between legs 58 and 59' of the bracket 56, and are held spaced apart from one another, and resiliently in engagement with the stationary blades 60 and 61, respectively, by a coiled spring 64, which surrounds shaft 84. The blades 62 and 63 are adapted to be pivoted so as to effect a double cutting action, and so that each cutting operation severs the wefts, which connect the two fabrics, immediately adjacent the two inner selvedges to allow the weft ends to protrude from these selvedges not more than 2 mms.

The movement of the movable blades is obtained through the pin 65, which pivotally connects the lower ends of levers 62 and 63 to one end of the lever 66, which is pivotally connected at its opposite end to a crank arm 86, the latter being mounted upon an eccentric 67, which rotates within an opening in crank arm 86. The eccentric 67 is fixed to a drive shaft 87, which is mounted in a conventional manner beneath housing 70 for rotation by the same drive as shaft 1, and is operative upon being rotated, to reciprocate the crank arm 86. The crank 86 thus reciprocates said lever 66, which in turn pivots the blades 62 and 63 so that the cutting edges of the movable blades pivot downwardly into operative relation to the cutting edges on the stationary blades 60 and 61, respectively, to sever the wefts.

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed are defined as follows:

1. In a shuttleless loom adapted to form two separate warp sheds simultaneously to weave side by side two lengths of fabric connected by wefts that extend between the inner edges of the fabrics,

a device for forming a selvedge at the inner edge of each of said fabrics, comprising a pair of auxiliary weft inserting needles for inserting loops of auxiliary weft threads into the inner ends of each shed,

a pair of retaining needles for retaining said loops in the sheds during withdrawal of said inserting needles from the sheds,

a housing,

a rotatable cam shaft in said housing,

four cams secured to said shaft, and

means connecting one of said cams to both of said inserting needles for imparting helical motions to the inserting needles to cause the inserting needles to enter the sheds, and

means connecting the other three of said cams to said retaining needles for imparting to said retaining needles horizontal and vertical motions into and out of loop-retaining positions in said sheds.

2. A device as defined in claim 1, wherein said cams are identical.

3. A device as defined in claim 1, wherein one of said three other cams is operative to impart said horizontal motion to both said retaining needles.

4. A device as defined in claim 1, including means on said housing beneath said needles for cutting the wefts connecting the two lengths of fabric adjacent each of the inner marginal edges of said lengths.

5. A device as defined in claim 4, wherein said cutting means comprises two, spaced pairs of scissors positioned beneath and between said inserting needles, and adjacent, respectively, the inner, confronting edges of said two lengths of fabric, each of said scissors comprising a stationary blade and a movable blade, and means operative to pivot said movable blades about a common axis into and out of operative relation with said stationary blades. 6. A device as defined in claim 5, including at least two spaced, temple rollers positioned adjacent opposite sides, respectively, of the space between said pairs of scissors, and means mounting said rollers on said housing forwardly of said scissors to hold the inner edges of said two lengths of fabric taut. 7. A device as defined in claim 5 including a generally U-shaped bracket secured to said housing beneath said needles,

a shaft extending between the legs of said bracket, said stationary blades being secured to the inside faces of said bracket legs, said movable blades being pivotal about the axis of the last-named shaft between said stationary blades, and

a spring surrounding said last-named shaft and engaged at opposite ends thereof with the confronting faces of said movable blades to urge the latter resiliently into engagement with the stationary blades.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,111,966 11/1963 Demuth 139--122 3,116,762 1/1964 Ancet et a1 139l22 3,307,593 3/1967 Neumann 139-122 FOREIGN PATENTS 12,250 1893 Great Britain.

HENRY S. JAUDON, Primary Examiner. 

